Kerber displays pure quality, wins the Australian Open in a tense three-setter against Williams

Playing her first Grand Slam final, Angelique Kerber was calm and collected, with peaceful inner strength, and in combination with superb level of tennis the German managed to beat world No.1 Serena Williams, who had never before lost an Australian Open final and she played as much as six, including last year.

The defending champion opened the match by holding to love, but she dropped her following serve and Kerber was the first to go up a break, 3-1. However, we know that Serena needs some time to warm up and in the middle of the set the players were again even, 3-3. In the seventh game, Kerber again broke Serena’s serve and three games later the set was hers, as she even held her serve in the tenth game without losing a point. When it comes to unforced errors, statistics are incomparable, as Kerber hit just three to Williams’ 23! As for winners, Kerber recorded four, Serena 12.

The second set was the most straightforward and shortest one. In the fourth game Serena went 40-0 on Kerber’s serve and she converted her third break point to go up 3-1. That early-established lead proved to be crucial for this set, as all the other games were holds.

The decider was a thrilling affair from start to finish. Kerber started out really strong, by breaking Serena to love in the second game to lead 2-0. That advantage quickly melted away, as Serena broke back for 2-2. The sixth game was another big battle, as after five deuces Kerber converted her fourth break point to go up 4-2. The fight included a wonderful and brave dropshot by Kerber, who opted for the risky move when Serena had an Ad-40 lead in the game.

After relatively calm two games, at 5-3 it was time for Kerber to serve for the Australian Open title! Whether those were nerves, or Serena’s always-lurking resurgence, Kerber dropped that service game and at that moment I thought that the victory might even slip through her hands. It’s Serena on the other side of the net and such chances are hard to earn, so when you waste them, you can say goodbye to your victory. But Kerber’s determination was not shaken and she was so ready to lift the trophy that she merged her best tennis with courage to break back right away and win the big title on her first match point! Score: 6-4 3-6 6-4.

Kerber’s story is even bigger when you know that she saved a match point in her first-rounder against Misaki Doi. Also, Kerber will now rise to No.2 in the rankings!

The 28-year-old Kerber recorded herself in the history books as a Grand Slam champion wearing the Adidas Spring Adizero Tank, Adidas Spring Adizero Skirt and Adidas Adizero Ubersonic Shoes.

In case you’d now like to refresh your memory of the fortnight behind us, check out our Australian Open 2016 photos, taken by our amazing photographer Jimmie48:

10 thoughts on “Kerber displays pure quality, wins the Australian Open in a tense three-setter against Williams”

First of all, congratulations to Angie. She played incredibly well. Serena showed a great deal of sportsmanship and she’s truly a legend. It’s Kerber’s moment to shine. It’s a great exposure for Adidas too. I love her kit and it deserves a warm round of applause.

This was a very entertaining match to watch, with the ebbs and flows. I know that Serena did not play her best, but some of that may be because Kerber ran down so many balls and forced Serena to hit that extra ball, drawing the unforced errors from her. I really thought the final was going to be between Serena and Vika, but kudos to Angie as she defeated both of them. And those 2 drop shots in the 6th game of the third set were so perfectly executed, catching Serena off guard. I really thought that Angie’s Adizero outfit looked great on her. It was a pleasant surprise as Kerber usually has worn something more conservative and boring.

What a match! Congratulations to Angelique Kerber! I am not a great fan of this outfit but have to admit that the separates are better than that horrible dress (which, luckily, made an early exit) and looked great on Angelique. She is one of my favourites, a very talented player and fun to watch, and most outfits look great on her.

Congrats to Angie! I always had my eye on her, from the onset. It’s amazing how many balls she got back! She was running down balls like it was nothing to it. She never, ever gave up and it was refreshing to see her so unreserved, hollering “come-on” and pumping her fist repeatedly. To me, it seemed she was playing Serena’s usual game (even her serve resembled Serena’s a lot) and Serena was the nervous one, as Angie usually is. She’s definitely not the same player and she’s raised her game to an all-time high. She showed no fear and all guts. Though it was odd seeing Serena make it to a final and not win, I’m confident she’ll bounce back and certainly go beyond Stefi Graffs 22 grand slam titles, even surpassing Margaret Court’s record. However, I think she should lose some weight, as seemingly, it slowed her game down. She usually gets to drop shots speedily, regardless of how well they’re executed. She also seemed to lack that hunger and fight in her eyes that I’m accustomed to seeing. I can tell when she’s going to lose a match by the look in her eyes and a particular look on her face. Angie is so toned and fit now, and that gave her an edge on moving around the court freely. I love Angelique Kerber’s humility and I pray she remains the same, rejecting arrogance and haughtiness. She deserved this win today and she’ll only get better, because she now believes in herself and no longer lacks self-esteem. I actually cried when she won and gave her speech. I feel so proud of her and so happy for her! More than anyone, she deserves this championship title. I always saw this day coming for her, sooner than later.

And congrats on your new #2 ranking with this win, Angie! Now keep the momentum going so Serena’s not the only one who can beat Sharapova every single time. All the majors that she’s won happened only when Serena either didn’t play or was eliminated by another player. The other girls had better make note of this also. They’ve got to know they can beat Sharapova so they can win these majors whenever Serena is eliminated.

Hi!Your blog is awesome! Ive been wondering about the official WTA clothing rules for some time and was wondering whether it is prohibited to cover the legs?i remember sania mirza being criticized by the media of her country over this issue some time back. Would be glad if you could provide some info! Thanks.

Curios, when the weather is cold, players do cover their legs. They usually wear 3/4 leggings. Regarding the clothing, here’s what the 2016 WTA rulebook states:

“For Tournament matches all players will be expected to dress and present themselves in a professional manner. A player shall wear appropriate and clean tennis attire and shall not wear sweatshirts, sweat pants, t-shirts, jeans or cut-offs during matches. A player may be asked to change if the Referee deems it necessary. Failure to do so may result in default from a Tournament and/or a fine.” There are other details regarding sponsor logos and shoes, but this is all that could be related to the coverage of legs.

A-MAZING! is all I can say, this was by far one of the best finals in a long time (personal opinion) & as an Aussie myself I can honestly tell you it had the whole country talking (even non tennis fans suddenly woke up!) Agree with so much that has already been written above. Angie was like a new woman, her fitness, her steely resolve & the belief & nerve she had from match point down against Doi in Round 1 to the 1st & last ball of the Final was breathtaking. I’ve always liked Angie & considered her a “workhorse”rather than a real Grand Slam threat but I must say I was sooooo impressed by her & have definitely become a big fan. Her speech was gorgeous & the sportsmanship shown by Serena really must be commended – this especially had everyone talking! I’m still buzzing as you can tell by the whole event & even though I love Garbine (who flopped big time) I’d like to say “No honey, they don’t all really hate each other..” This final puts that comment to bed.